Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter.

Midwit meme

The most profound meme. On the left is the dimwit, the middle is the midwit, and the right is the litwit (the enlightened one). The idea is that the dimwit and the litwit come to the same conclusion and have the same results. Only the midwits suffer, and they suffer primarily from overcomplication. Examples below:

Every midwit is a dimwit trying to be a litwit. Just be the dimwit. You will fall short on any attempt to optimize and overcomplicate your way into being the midwit. The litwit has already tried to add complexity in search of greater results, realized they crossed the line of diminishing returns, and returned to the simpler and more robust solution.

Take a simple idea and take it seriously

Complexity does not make you cool. Having complex systems and habits is often a status-seeking activity. We all like to flex our 10-step morning routine, but if it takes 4 hours and causes you to underperform when you miss a step, how elite are you?

Examples of simplicity being king (or queen):

Nutrition: Taking prebiotics, probiotics, 15 different supplements and vitamins daily, timing meals, and weighing your kale to the gram… Reinvest this mental energy into other activities. Pay no mind to trendy TikTok posts about how people eat—only fad diets get attention. Keep it simple, and you will be fine. It is no surprise to most that the most effective diet (for most people) is a whole-food diet.

Sleep: I am cautious about sleep aids since I don’t want to become dependent on them. I don’t want to rely on a sleep mask, having a pitch black room, earplugs, and melatonin. What happens if I don’t have one of them? I don’t want a restful night to be that fragile. I like that I can fall asleep with 0-1 pillows, mild background noise, and some light in the room.

The simple answer is usually correct, but only if executed with seriousness and thoughtfulness. Simplicity scales; simplicity is robust; don’t overcomplicate.

There is more to explore in the idea of taking simple ideas seriously. Stay tuned.

Quotes to go

Thanks for reading!

Lucas